Leadership and community involvement are two of the main traits that an Eagle Scout must possess, and Andrew Hofmann displayed those and more when he reconstructed the South Windsor Fire Department's Memorial Garden late last year.

"I've learned how to lead groups, how to take charge of situations where a lot of people are very confused," he said. "I'm a lot more outgoing now in wanting to complete a project than I was before. "It's really taught me how to get out of my comfort zone and that I can take on challenges."

Hofmann, now 18, has spent most of his life in Boy Scout Troop 880 of South Windsor and chose to rebuild the garden as his service project. He led more than 50 volunteers in excess of 250 hours of planning and labor to accomplish the project. Volunteers included other Scouts, friends, adults, and members of the fire department.

Jay's Landscaping donated stone to be placed in the garden and Jay Samsel helped to secure a bobcat to add new items to the scenery as well as take out older materials, Hofmann said. He also said he set a new troop record for getting the most people involved in the project.

"I had a whole bunch of people that stuck with me to make this happen," Hofmann said. He added that he still gets excited when he thinks about his accomplishment.

"I can show my kids one day, that's what I'm looking forward to," the high school senior said. "I hope it stays around for a really long time."

Hofmann's entire family is involved in the Boy Scouts. His father John, Deputy Chief of the SWFD, is an Eagle Scout out of Troop 61 in East Hartford; his mother Darlene is the Advancement Chair for Troop 880, and the family hopes his younger brother stays with the troop and becomes an Eagle Scout as well.

Hofmann recently became a Scout master and said he is passing on the skills and knowledge of what he has learned over the years.

"It's great that I can give back to the community and it's great that I can help others get to the goal that I have primarily achieved," he said. "If you want to learn some things you'll never learn anywhere else, and to be surrounded by peers, and to have lifelong connections - that's what Scouting is."